Diplomacy in the age of expertise: the case of cyber diplomacy.

This article examines the role of expertise in the emergence and evolution of new diplomatic issue areas. Contemporary diplomatic practice increasingly requires coordination across knowledge domains. Nowhere is this more evident than in issues involving fast evolving technology, such as artificial i...

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Publicado en:International Affairs Vol. 102; no. 2; pp. 513 - 535
Autores principales: Willers, Johann Ole, Gjesvik, Lars
Formato: Artículo
Publicado: Oxford University Press / USA Mar2026
Materias:
Acceso en línea:Ver este registro en EBSCOhost
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        10.1093/ia/iiaf271
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        atl: Diplomacy in the age of expertise: the case of cyber diplomacy.
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        au:
          Willers, Johann Ole
          Gjesvik, Lars
        affil:
          Copenhagen Business School, Department of Organization, Frederiksberg 2000, Denmark
          Norwegian Institute of International Affairs, Oslo 0033, Norway
      su:
        Diplomacy
        International security
        Power (Social sciences)
        International relations
        Artificial intelligence
        Internet governance
        Digital technology
      sug:
        subj:
          Diplomacy
          International security
          Power (Social sciences)
          International relations
          Artificial intelligence
          Foreign affairs
          International Affairs
          Internet governance
          Digital technology
      keyword:
        copyrightHolder:The Royal Institute of International Affairs
        copyrightYear:2026
        cyber security
        diplomacy
        expertise
        inLanguage:en
        knowledge brokerage
        practices
        publisher:Oxford University Press
        sameAs:https://dx.doi.org/10.1093/ia/iiaf271
        United Nations
        copyrightHolder:The Royal Institute of International Affairs
        copyrightYear:2026
        cyber security
        diplomacy
        expertise
        inLanguage:en
        knowledge brokerage
        practices
        publisher:Oxford University Press
        sameAs:https://dx.doi.org/10.1093/ia/iiaf271
        United Nations
      ab: This article examines the role of expertise in the emergence and evolution of new diplomatic issue areas. Contemporary diplomatic practice increasingly requires coordination across knowledge domains. Nowhere is this more evident than in issues involving fast evolving technology, such as artificial intelligence or cyber issues. Examining the case of cyber diplomacy, we show how diplomats have adapted to these concerns. Contrary to claims that growing demands for issue-specific expertise erode the traditional diplomatic monopoly over authoritative knowledge, the article shows that traditional diplomats have expanded their role. Rather being displaced by technical experts, diplomats act as key points of passage through which knowledge enters the diplomatic arena. Their ability to mediate between competing knowledge claims is becoming a defining feature of diplomatic practice in complex issue areas. We further demonstrate how early framings of cyber diplomacy produced lasting effects diplomatic practice, prioritizing great power politics and skewing debates towards the international security dimensions of cyber issues. The article thus contributes to diplomatic studies by showcasing how early issue framings institutionalize particular practices and constrain adaptation over time, offering broader insights into the tensions between institutional stability and technological change in the governance of digital technology.
      pubtype: Academic Journal
      doctype: Article
      src: R
    language: English
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